Has exercise changed your life?

I’ve blogged before about my green guilt as a regular gym-goer. In that vein, the latest Green Lantern on winter exercise caught my eye. The diligent columnist concludes that elliptical trainers and stationary bikes use less energy than treadmills (I can hear the collective sigh of relief now). He also reminds readers that basic steps — like asking your gym to replace individual TVs with a few large ones, or at least to put the private screens on a timer — also do a lot of good.

But one thing that never gets mentioned in these analyses is the sheer joy of exercise. My exercise addiction is, with no exaggeration, the single best thing that’s ever happened to me. It is the grounding that keeps me drinking enough water, sleeping enough, not eating junk and not drinking too much. It keeps my stress in check, and most of the great ideas I’ve ever had have come at the gym or on my way home. I’m fit enough to go hiking or rafting whenever I want, and the moments fitness earns me in nature and away from civilization are precious.

So what I started wondering about today is not which exercise is least bad for the environment, but which one, in your life, has been most good? Have you undertaken a sport that’s really changed your life? Activities like yoga and qigong claim to have transformative emotional or spiritual effects. Do they? What about hiking, rock climbing, dancing, running? If a particular form of exercise has had a profound effect on your life, share your story in the comments!